Bonita Unified School District Bonita Center for the Arts

The Bonita Center for the Arts is a space for students to perform and display arts, as well as host meetings and special events. This 700-seat, 25,000-SF facility opened its doors to the public in 2014 after 25 years of planning. The auditorium includes orchestra-, parterre- and balcony-level seating along with a backstage area containing a fly loft with loading galleries, grid iron and counterweight rigging system. The construction consists of masonry and concrete-bearing shear walls with a metal decking and steel beam roof frame. The design employs a cast-in-place raised slab in the auditorium to make space for a displacement air system. Furthermore, the design team used 3D modeling of the structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical elements to identify and eliminate conflicts prior to construction.